easily.
Remove the ham hock from the poaching liquor and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, flake the meat into large pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Measure out 600ml of the stock for the peas (save the rest – you can use it to make London particular, see page 69).
For the pease pudding, drain the split peas and put them into a saucepan with the chopped onion. Pour in the poaching stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 21/2–3 hours until the peas are soft and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Add the butter and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper. For a smoother result, use a hand-held stick blender to work the peas to a coarse-textured purée.
When ready to serve, warm the ham pieces gently if necessary in a little of the reserved stock. Serve the pease pudding piping hot in warm bowls with the flaked ham hock pieces on top. Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley to finish.
Rabbit hotpot with perry
SERVES 4–6
1 rabbit, about 1.2kg, jointed
2 tbsp plain flour
sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
20g butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves few thyme sprigs
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
500ml perry (pear cider), or apple cider
about 500ml water
60g pitted prunes, chopped
400g tin butter or haricot beans, drained
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
This is a particularly good dish for anyone who has never tried rabbit before. With this in mind, we’ve used farmed rabbit for a milder flavour, but of course you may prefer the richer, gamier taste of wild rabbit. The latter will take longer to cook, as the animals get more exercise and their meat is slower to tenderize. Get your butcher to prepare and joint the rabbit for you. Grainy mustard mash (see page 156) is the ideal accompaniment for this dish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat a large flameproof casserole until hot. Meanwhile, coat the rabbit pieces in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, saving any excess. Add the olive oil to the casserole and fry the rabbit pieces, in batches if necessary, for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown all over. Remove the browned pieces to a plate and set aside.
Add the butter to the casserole. When melted, add the onions with some seasoning and sauté over a high heat for 5–6 minutes until they start to colour. Tip in any remaining seasoned flour and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, parsnips and a little more seasoning. Return the rabbit to the casserole and pour in the perry and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, put the lid on and then carefully transfer to the oven.
Cook for 40 minutes, then take out the casserole and stir in the prunes, butter beans and mustard. Return to the oven for another 25–30 minutes until the rabbit is tender. If the sauce seems too thin, lift out the rabbit pieces and boil the sauce vigorously until reduced and thickened to a light coating consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.
Mutton with parsley and caper sauce
SERVES 6
1.2kg boned and rolled leg of mutton
2 bay leaves
few thyme sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns sea salt
2 large leeks, trimmed
2–3 large carrots, peeled
1 large swede, about 400–450g, peeled
2 medium turnips, about 400–450g, peeled
PARSLEY AND CAPER SAUCE
45g butter
3 tbsp plain flour
300ml warm milk
5–6 tbsp capers, rinsed
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Boiled leg of lamb is a classic dish, but we prefer to use mutton as it has a deeper flavour that is well retained during long, slow cooking. Boiling, of course, is something of a misnomer, as the cooking liquor should barely simmer, to ensure that the meat is meltingly tender. You may have to order the mutton in advance from your butcher. Failing that, you could use a boned and rolled leg of lamb.
Put the mutton into
Remove the ham hock from the poaching liquor and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, flake the meat into large pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Measure out 600ml of the stock for the peas (save the rest – you can use it to make London particular, see page 69).
For the pease pudding, drain the split peas and put them into a saucepan with the chopped onion. Pour in the poaching stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 21/2–3 hours until the peas are soft and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Add the butter and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper. For a smoother result, use a hand-held stick blender to work the peas to a coarse-textured purée.
When ready to serve, warm the ham pieces gently if necessary in a little of the reserved stock. Serve the pease pudding piping hot in warm bowls with the flaked ham hock pieces on top. Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley to finish.
Rabbit hotpot with perry
SERVES 4–6
1 rabbit, about 1.2kg, jointed
2 tbsp plain flour
sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
20g butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves few thyme sprigs
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
500ml perry (pear cider), or apple cider
about 500ml water
60g pitted prunes, chopped
400g tin butter or haricot beans, drained
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
This is a particularly good dish for anyone who has never tried rabbit before. With this in mind, we’ve used farmed rabbit for a milder flavour, but of course you may prefer the richer, gamier taste of wild rabbit. The latter will take longer to cook, as the animals get more exercise and their meat is slower to tenderize. Get your butcher to prepare and joint the rabbit for you. Grainy mustard mash (see page 156) is the ideal accompaniment for this dish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat a large flameproof casserole until hot. Meanwhile, coat the rabbit pieces in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, saving any excess. Add the olive oil to the casserole and fry the rabbit pieces, in batches if necessary, for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown all over. Remove the browned pieces to a plate and set aside.
Add the butter to the casserole. When melted, add the onions with some seasoning and sauté over a high heat for 5–6 minutes until they start to colour. Tip in any remaining seasoned flour and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, parsnips and a little more seasoning. Return the rabbit to the casserole and pour in the perry and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, put the lid on and then carefully transfer to the oven.
Cook for 40 minutes, then take out the casserole and stir in the prunes, butter beans and mustard. Return to the oven for another 25–30 minutes until the rabbit is tender. If the sauce seems too thin, lift out the rabbit pieces and boil the sauce vigorously until reduced and thickened to a light coating consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.
Mutton with parsley and caper sauce
SERVES 6
1.2kg boned and rolled leg of mutton
2 bay leaves
few thyme sprigs
1 tsp black peppercorns sea salt
2 large leeks, trimmed
2–3 large carrots, peeled
1 large swede, about 400–450g, peeled
2 medium turnips, about 400–450g, peeled
PARSLEY AND CAPER SAUCE
45g butter
3 tbsp plain flour
300ml warm milk
5–6 tbsp capers, rinsed
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Boiled leg of lamb is a classic dish, but we prefer to use mutton as it has a deeper flavour that is well retained during long, slow cooking. Boiling, of course, is something of a misnomer, as the cooking liquor should barely simmer, to ensure that the meat is meltingly tender. You may have to order the mutton in advance from your butcher. Failing that, you could use a boned and rolled leg of lamb.
Put the mutton into
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